Ask a Dietitian

The number of mushroom varieties in the produce section is growing rapidly as the earthy taste becomes more and more popular. From the most common white button and brown mushrooms to the oyster mushroom, enoki, Portobello, shitake and more. Each with their own flavour and texture, the possibilities for culinary delights are endless. Here are some tips on purchasing and preparing some of the fungi in your grocery store.

Choosing and storing your Mushrooms
Buy mushrooms that are loose not packaged so you can pick the ones you want. Choose mushrooms that are firm not soft and wrinkled, and without spots. Store them for 1-5 days. Cover them with white paper towel to absorb moisture and place them in a plastic bag. Discard mushrooms with spots or a bad odour.

Cleaning Mushrooms
These vegetables shouldn’t be washed or soaked in water as they will absorb water and become soggy. Instead, just before using them in your cooking, wipe them with a mushroom brush or wet paper towel to remove the dirt.

Mushroom Varieties
The least expensive mushroom, after the button mushroom, is the cremini mushroom. It is actually a baby portobello and has a pale brown skin and a more earthy taste. Use it in stir-fry and in soups and eat the stem too.

The oyster mushroom comes in clumps of thin oyster-like ivory coloured mushrooms one on top of the other. Use them right away because these mushrooms don’t last long. Use them raw in salads or sautéed in a wild mushroom pasta sauce.

Enoki mushrooms are long and spindly and are a beautiful garnish for any dinner plate. They are also tasty raw in a sandwich or tossed into a stir-fry at the last minute. Be sure to trip off the clump of stems at the end.

Skiitake mushrooms, known for their potential cancer-fighting capabilities, are a fleshy, smoky flavoured fungus delicious sautéed with olive oil and garlic at served with red meat. The stems are quite tough so use them for flavour and then discard before serving.

Porcino mushrooms are more expensive than the others. They are often used in French and Italian cooking, in pasta sauces, lasagna and risotto. They are also tasty on a vegetable brochette.

Morels are even more expensive. They look like ocean coral or volcanic rock, they have a spongy texture and they absorb sauces well. Add these to omelets or gravy for a delicious nutty flavour. Be sure to brush them well as they often house tiny bugs.

Truffles are the crème de la crème of mushrooms. $75 per ounce. Only the best pigs can find them. Delicious on toast and egg.

Nutrient Value
Mushrooms are 90% water. In one cup or 70g they have ¼ g protein, 17 kcal and a small amount of fiber. There is 254 mg potassium, and less than 1 mg of calcium, iron, vitamin C and zinc. No vitamin A and 14 mcg folic acid.

The medicinal use of mushrooms
A report recently released by Cancer Research UK suggests that research done in the Orient on the medicinal benefits of exotic mushrooms such as shiitake, enoke, maitake and oyster could herald a new era of cancer treatment and prevention in the West. The report is the world’s most comprehensive review of information about the medicinal use of mushrooms in Japan, China and Korea, where they are valued for their anti-tumor properties and ability to stimulate the immune system to fight disease. It also documents evidence from studies in the Far East that medicinal mushrooms can help reduce the adverse effects of radio- and chemotherapy and significantly improve the quality of life for patients with advanced cancer.

The bottom line
Mushrooms are full of flavour and add variety, texture and interest to your meal. They also add some potential health benefits.